Container holder



July 5, 1938. I A. H. TRACY CONTAINER HOLDER 2 Sheets-She et 1 FiledAug. 15, 1936 l I 4 I I I l l l l II July 5, 1938. A. H. TRACY CONTAINERHOLDER Filed Aug. 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 1,938

I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 9 Claims.

beverage can or container, such as the usual standard beer can, wherebythe can and holder may be used in the same manner as a mug or -stein andthe beverage may be drunk directly from the can.

Small beer cans, in which beer is dispensed over the counter or sold fordomestic use, are usually of a standard size and contain 12 fluidounces. The usual practice is to punch a hole in the top of the can andplace it with a glass before the user. These cans are rather unsightlywhen so used, and the present invention is arranged to provide anattractive holder which substantially covers the outer surface of thecan and which is provided with a suitable handle, so that the can andholder may be used as a mug. The surface .of the holder may, of course,be suitably decorated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder of thecharacter described which may be applied to the can after the top isremoved by a can opener which leaves a smooth surface inside the upperbead merely by pushing the holder downwardly over the open top of thecan until the upper edge of the holder engages underneath the upper beadand thereby supports the can when the holder is lifted by means of thehandle.

A further object is the provision of a resilient can holder of thecharacter described, whereby the holder may be applied by downwardmovement over the can and the can may be easily removed by inverting theholder and pushing or shaking the can therefrom through the top of theholder. In other words, the holder is arranged to enable the can totelescope completely therethrough.

Another object is the provision of a contaln-.

er holder of the character described, which is cheap to manufacture,convenient in use, attractive in appearance, and which may, if desired,be made of a single piece of resilient material.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodi ment ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a beverage can with the holder applied theretoand shown in partial section for purposes of illustration;

(cl. c s-s1) Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modifled form ofholder;

Fig. 5 illustrates another slightly modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6' is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment illustrated inFig. 5 and taken on a line substantially corresponding to line 8-8 ofFig. 5; and

Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the bodyportion of the device comprises a spirally wound sheet metal memberprovided with a suitable handle.

Fig.8 is a side elevation of the upper portion' of one of the holdersand illustrates a cover applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the embodiment illustrated in Figs.1 to 3, inclusive, comprises a cylindrical body portion I, the normalinside diameter of which at the upper edge 2 is substantially the sameas the outside diameter of the body of a standard beer can or similarcontainer. The lower end of the body portion is flared outwardly, asshown at 3, to a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the endbeads on a beer can.

The entire device is preferably made of a single piece of resilientsheet metal or other suitable material formed to provide a body portionhaving laterally extending web members 4 terminating in a handle 5 whichis preferably cylindrical as shown. The webs may be provided with anopening 6. The web members 4 are preferably closely adjacent, asillustrated. However, they are preferably not secured together, and theentire device being of resilient material enables the body portion toexpand when it is pushed downwardly over the top bead of a beer can orother suitable container 1 /(Fig. 3). If desired, the webs 4 may besecured together adjacent the handle 5 by any suitable means, such asrivets 8. This enables the use of very thin sheet material, and theportion of the webs between the rivets aud the body will permit sumcientexpansion of the body portion.

Fig. 3 illustrates the method of applying the holder to the usual beercan after it has been properly opened. In applying the holder, it isplaced over the can, as illustrated by the dotted lines, and pusheddownwardly, and the resilience of the material enables the holder to betelescoped over the can until the upper edge 2 snaps underneath theupper bead 9 of the can. The beer may then be drunk out of the can inthe usual way of drinking out of a mug or stein. The

body of the holder is slightly shorter than the height of thecan.

-. webs may, if desired, be secured together adjacent the body portion,although this fastening is not essential. The body portion is split, as

shown at H), to enable the holder to be passed over the beads of thecan. The two adjacent edges are preferably arranged to overlap slightlyat the bottom, as illustrated at l I. However, they may overlap for theentire length of the holder if desired, or the edges may be merelyclosely adjacent and not overlap. This embodiment may be made of asingle flat sheet of resilient material. I

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 may, of course, be formed of acomparatively large tubular member pressed together to form the body,webs, and handle, as illustrated, or it may be made of a single sheet ofmaterial and seamed or welded together, if desired.

Fig. illustrates an embodiment wherein a tubular body portion I a isprovided with its lower end flared in the manner previously described,and having a slot l2 in one side extending downwardly to a point wherethe inside diameter of the body portion is greater than the diameter ofthe beads on the can. A handle [3, which may be a bent tubular memberprovided with a fiattened portion H, is secured to one side of the slotl2 by any suitable means, such as rivets I5. The portion l4 covers theslot l2 which otherwise might be somewhat unsightly, but is not securedto the body at the opposite side of the slot. The

upper part of the body portion is, therefore, permitted to expand whenthe holder is passed over the head of the can in the same manner aspreviously described.

Fig. '7 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a bodyportion I comprises a single piece of sheet metal which is wound inspiral form, as illustrated, and in which the inside diameter of theupper end is substantially the same as the outside diameter of thecontainer, whereby the holder may engage under the bead as previouslydescribed. The lower endis also flared, as illustrated, to enable theholder to be easily telescoped over the can. The body portion may beprovided with a suitable handle I 6, which may be of strap material, asillustrated, and secured to the body in any suitable manner. It will be.apparent that the spiral formation of the holder body enables the holderto be used in the same manner as previously described.

'It is sometimes desirable to provide the device with a cover, and thismay be accomplished as illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein a cover H, whichmay be made of material similar to the body of the holder, is providedwith ears l8 by which it may be pivoted at H. The cover is also providedwith an upwardly extending thumb engaging handle 20 having re'arwardlyextending lugs 2| arranged to be resiliently engaged in the holderhandle 5 when the cover is open as indicated in dotted lines.

Modifications may be made in detail without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and it is desired, therefore, that the invention belimited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by ,Letters Patent is:

1. A can holder comprising an expansible tubular member constructed andarranged to be telescoped downwardly over a beverage can whereby theupper edge of the member automatically engages under the upper bead ofthe can to sup-' port the can while drinking therefrom, the lowerportion of the member being of a diameter greater than the bead engagingportion to enable resilient telescoping movement over said can.

2. A holder for beverage cans having the usual end beads, comprising alongitudinally split resilient tubular member of greater diameter at thebottom than at the top and slightly shorter than the length of astandard can whereby when the holder is pushed downwardly over a can theupper edge will engage under the upper bead, said tubular member beingarranged to snugly engage the sides of the can over a material part ofits length.

3. A holder for beverage cans comprising a longitudinally split tubularmember open at both ends and formed of resilient sheet material and vnormally of less diameter than said cans, whereby a can having end beadsof larger diameter than the normal innerdiameter of said member maytelescope completely therethrough, said member engaging the sides ofsaid can over a substantial partof its length and being flared at oneend to enable free entrance of the can.

4. A can holder for a standard beverage can comprising resilient sheetmaterial formed to provide two axially spaced substantially paralleltubular portions connected by a web, one of said portions being of lessdiameter at the top than the end beads of a can and of larger diameterat the bottom, the resilience of said holder enabling said portion to beeasily telescoped completely over a can and to support the can with itsupper bead resting on the upper edge of the holder, said other tubularportion providing a handle.

5. A one-piece holder of the character described comprising a tubularbody portion of less diameter than the end beads of a container and openat each end and arranged to expand to permit a container to becompletely telescoped therethrough, and having laterally extendingadjacent webs terminating in a handle, said webs having a finger openingtherethrough.

6. A one-piece beverage can holder comprising single piece of resilientsheet material folded together to'form a substantially tubular handle atthe line of fold, a laterally extending web comprising closely adjacentportions of the material, said web terminating in a longitudinally splittubular portion open at both ends and slightly shorter than a standardcan, the inner diameter at the upper end being slightly less than theouter diameter of a can head and the lower end being flared to enablethe holder to be easily telescoped over the bead.

7. A one-piece beverage can holder comprising a single piece ofresilient sheet material folded together to form a substantially tubularhandle at the line f fold, a laterally extending web comsaid webterminating in a longitudinally split tubular portion having overlappingedges and open at both ends and slightly shorter than a enable theholder to be easily telescoped over the bead.

8. A beverage can holder comprising a resilient, thin, metallic, tubularmember slightly shorter than a standard can, the inner diameter at theupper edge and a substantial length of said member being slightly lessthan the upper bead of a standard can, and the lower edge flared to alarger diameter, said member being split from the top at least to apoint of larger diameter than said bead whereby a can may be telescopedcompletely therethrough or supported thereon by automatic engagement ofthe edge of the member under the upper can bead, and a laterallyextending handle overlapping said split and secured at one side onlythereof.

9. A can holder for a standard beverage can comprising resilient sheetmaterial formed to provide two substantially tubular portions connectedby a web, one of said portions being of less diameter at the top thanthe beads of a can and enlarged at the bottom to enable a can to beeasily telescoped therethrough and to support the can with its upperbead resting on the upper edge of the holder, said other tubular portionproviding a handle, a cover pivoted between said portions and providedwith a handle, and means on said cover to be friotionally engaged by theholder handle when the cover is opened.

ATLEE H. TRACY.

